OTHER, HER LOVE OF OUTSIDE STARTED EARLY.
GROWING UP IN HAWAII AS A SELF-DESCRIBED TOMBOY, TULSI GABBARD SAID THE OCEAN WAS LIKE A GIANT PLAYGROUND AND SHE DEVELOPED A LIFELONG LOVE OF SURFING.
>> I PROBABLY WAS 16 OR 17, GREW UP, THE FIRST TIME I LEARNED HOW TO SWIM WAS IN THE OCEAN.
I GREW UP BODY BOARDING FIRST, AND THEN SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHO I WAS BODY BOARDING WITH STARTED MOVING OVER TO SURFING AND I SAID I'VE GOT TO TRY SO I GOT A FREE BOARD FROM A FRIEND
OF MINE THAT WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE BOARD YOU COULD LEARN HOW TO SURF WITH.
THEY CALL IT A GUN.
IT WAS I THINK A SEVEN FOOT LONG BOARD BUT VERY NARROW AND THEY USE IT FOR BIG WAVE SURFING, LIKE 20, 25 FOOT WAVES , NOT FOR A BEGINNER WHO IS TRYING TO LEARN.
IT'S VERY HARD TO GET UP AND BUT AFTER I CRASHED AND BURNED MANY, MANY TIMES, EVENTUALLY I STARTED TO GET THE HANG OF IT AND THEN GOT A BETTER BOARD.
>> THE NAME TULSI, I JUST LOVE THE NAME.
IS THERE A STORY BEHIND IT?
>> IT IS -- YEAH, IT'S A SACRED FLOWER FROM INDIA.
MY DAD'S CATHOLIC, SO ALL FIVE OF US KIDS IN OUR FAMILY, WE WERE ALL GIVEN HINDU NAMES BY OUR PARENTS.
SO IT'S ALSO A VERY MEDICINAL FLOWER USED FOR STRESS RELIEF AND RELAXATION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
PEOPLE, SOME OF MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE NEVER HAD TULSI TEA, WHEN I STARTED RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, THEY'RE LIKE THEY'RE NOPE, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
>> ONE OF HER FIRST PASSIONS WAS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM.
SHE CREATED A SUPERHERO CHARACTER TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG HAWAIIAN YOUTH.
>> WE RAN A SKIT THE ADVENTURES OF WATER WOMAN AND I MADE MYSELF THE STAR AND I PLAYED WATER WOMAN IN THIS SKIT AND HER NEMESIS WAS OILY AL AND IT WAS A DAY IN THE LIFE OF OILY
AL.
SECOND AND THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS PRIMARILY, AND EVERY TIME OILY AL WAS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING, HE'S CHANGING THE OIL IN HIS CAR AND ABOUT TO DUMP THE DIRTY OIL DOWN THE
SWOOP IN JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME AND STOP HIM AND TELL HIM, HERE'S WHY THAT'S SUCH A BAD IDEA, AND GOING THROUGH A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, HE'S EATING HIS SNACKS AND CHIPS AND SODA
AND ABOUT TO THROW IT OUT THE COMES IN AND SAYS HEY, LET ME TELL YOU WHERE THIS ENDS UP.
IT WAS SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THESE KIDS AND THE LIGHT BULB GO OFF IN THEIR EYES.
PROSECUTOR GABBARD GOT AN EARLY START IN POLITICS BUT WAS TRANSFORMED AFTER JOINING THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL GUARD AND SERVING IN IRAQ.
>> FROM THE TIME I ENLISTED IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AND GOING OFF TO BASIC TRAINING IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO MY TWO DEPLOYMENTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST, I CAME BACK FROM THAT
DEPLOYMENT TO IRAQ WHERE I SERVED IN A MEDICAL UNIT A DIFFERENT PERSON.
WHEN I CAME BACK, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE STATEHOUSE THEN SAID OK, GREAT, YOU'RE HOME, YOU CAN COME BACK, RUN FOR YOUR OLD SEAT, GET BACK TO LIFE AS YOU HAD LEFT IT, AND I
JUST COULDN'T DO THAT.
I HAD BEEN EXPOSED NOT ONLY TO A WORLD MUCH BROADER AND BIGGER THAN HAWAII, BUT HAVING SEEN FIRSTHAND THE COST OF WAR, HAVING SEEN IN MANY WAYS A LOT OF THE CORRUPTION AND WASTE IN
TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT WE'VE SEEN COME WITH THESE WASTEFUL WARS, AND COMING BACK WANTING TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I COULD ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT I COULD HELP
INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE WE AS SERVICE MEMBERS ARE SENT INTO HARM'S WAY.
>> TULSI, ON DEPLOYMENT, HOW DID YOU STAY GROUNDED AROUND THE OCEAN?
>> OH, GOSH, FRIENDS.
OUR UNIT WAS HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD UNIT AND NOT ALL BUT MOST ONES WHO WERE NOT FROM HAWAII WERE FROM SAMOA AND GUAM AND SAIPAN, REALLY ACROSS THE PACIFIC.
A BIG PART OF THAT WAS FOOD.
FOOD IN THE CHOW HALLS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE FIRST CHOICE SO FOLKS FROM HOME WOULD SEND US RICE COOKERS AND SOMEONE AND JUST AFTER WORK SOMETIMES YOU'D GET TOGETHER AND HANG OUT
AT HOME AND THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
>> THAT TIGHT-KNIT CULTURE IS SOMETHING GABBARD BRINGS TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
HER SISTER IS HER CLOSEST ADVISOR AND HER HUSBAND IS THE MAN BEHIND THE CAMERA.
>> IF YOU COME TO ANY OF OUR EVENTS OR SEE THE VIDEOS WE'RE POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ODDS ARE HE'S THE ONE WHO FILMED THEM.
AND THEN HE PARKS IN THE HOTEL ROOM AND STARTS EDITING THE VIDEOS AT THE END OF THE DAY AND I'VE GOT MY YOUNGER SISTER WHO IS TRAVELING WITH US.
SHE'S, THANKFULLY, SHE'S A DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL SO SHE PUT ASIDE -- IT WORKS ON MANY LEVELS.
SHE'S KIND OF A FULL PACKAGE.
BECAUSE SHE'S PUT ASIDE HER OWN CAREER IN LIFE FOR THE TIME BEING TO COME AND HELP ME AND OUR CAMPAIGN FULL TIME.
>> SHE'S HERE.
SAY HI.
LITTLE SISTER.
WERE KIDS BUT YOU GUYS HAVE SISTERS ARE AND WE'VE BEEN BEST FRIENDS AND INSEPARABLE FOR SO LONG.
>> I DON'T.
I DON'T.
MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND HAVE A DOG.
IN OUR HOUSE.
WE LIVE TOGETHER IN D.C.
BUT WE'RE ON THE ROAD SO MUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN WATER A PLANT IN OUR HOUSE AND KEEP IT ALIVE, THEN I'M HAPPY.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE, NOT RIGHT NOW.
>> IF YOU MOVED IN THE WHITE HOUSE -- >> YEAH, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THIS IS NOT A SETTLED DECISION, BUT MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE TALKED AND WE BOTH LIKE GAUDIN RETRIEVERS.
>> THAT DEBATE SETTLED BUT TOUCH.
>> WHICH IS MORE BEAUTIFUL, HAWAII OR NEW HAMPSHIRE?
>> THAT'S A TERRIBLE QUESTION.
BOTH.
I CHOOSE BOTH.
YOU CAN'T COMPARE THEM.
LOOK, WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OCEANS IN THE WORLD.
BEAUTIFUL TOWERING MOUNTAIN RANGES, AMAZING HIKES AND WATERFALLS, AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF BEAUTY HERE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THERE.
IF I'M IN THE SNOW, I LOVE SNOWBOARDING, SOMETHING YOU CAN'T DO IN HAWAII.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY CATCHING A LITTLE SNOWBOARDING TIME THIS WINTER HERE.
>> NICE.
ICE SKATING?
>> I CAN ICE SKATE.
I CAN ICE SKATE.
WE HAVE ONE ICE SKATING RINK IN HAWAII.
IT IS INDOORS.
YES.
THAT WOULD